Claim profile
1700–1799

The 18th century

Whose working lives fell in the 18th century. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 18th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇺🇸 United States🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇮🇹 Italy🇪🇸 Spain🇸🇪 Sweden🇯🇵 Japan🇹🇷 Turkey🇨🇭 Switzerland
FieldAllPoliticiansHistorical FiguresWritersScientistsMusiciansArtistsAcademicsArchitectsDoctorsReligious Figures
  1. 1Edward JennerEdward Jenner1749–1823 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors22 decades
  2. 2Samuel HahnemannSamuel Hahnemann1755–1843 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors20 decades
  3. 3Luigi GalvaniLuigi Galvani1737–1798 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Doctors22 decades
  4. 4Franz MesmerFranz Mesmer1734–1815 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors9 decades
  5. 5Joseph-Ignace GuillotinJoseph-Ignace Guillotin1738–1814 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  6. 6Alessandro CagliostroAlessandro Cagliostro1743–1795 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors22 decades
  7. 7Julien Offray de La MettrieJulien Offray de La Mettrie1709–1751 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors2 decades
  8. 8Johann Friedrich BlumenbachJohann Friedrich Blumenbach1752–1840 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors11 decades
  9. 9Philippe PinelPhilippe Pinel1745–1826 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors11 decades
  10. 10Claude Louis BertholletClaude Louis Berthollet1748–1822 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors1 decades
  11. 11Erasmus DarwinErasmus Darwin1731–1802 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors22 decades
  12. 12Dorothea Christiane ErxlebenDorothea Christiane Erxleben1715–1762 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors1 decades
  13. 13Charles-Henri SansonCharles-Henri Sanson1739–1806 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors1 decades
  14. 14James ParkinsonJames Parkinson1755–1824 · Doctors17 decades
  15. 15Benjamin RushBenjamin Rush1746–1813 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors22 decades
  16. 16Franz Joseph GallFranz Joseph Gall1758–1828 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors2 decades
  17. 17John HunterJohn Hunter1728–1793 · Doctors22 decades
  18. 18James LindJames Lind1716–1794 · Doctors9 decades
  19. 19Giovanni Battista MorgagniGiovanni Battista Morgagni1682–1771 · Doctors0 decades
  20. 20Giovanni Antonio ScopoliGiovanni Antonio Scopoli1723–1788 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Doctors5 decades
  21. 21Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias OlbersHeinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers1758–1840 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors0 decades
  22. 22William CullenWilliam Cullen1710–1790 · Doctors22 decades
  23. 23Gerard van SwietenGerard van Swieten1700–1772 · Doctors9 decades
  24. 24Joseph WarrenJoseph Warren1741–1775 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors22 decades
  25. 25Josiah BartlettJosiah Bartlett1729–1795 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors19 decades
  26. 26Christoph Wilhelm HufelandChristoph Wilhelm Hufeland1762–1836 · Doctors12 decades
  27. 27Pierre FauchardPierre Fauchard1679–1761 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors2 decades
  28. 28Hanaoka SeishūHanaoka Seishū1760–1835 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Doctors0 decades
  29. 29Antoine LouisAntoine Louis1723–1792 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors17 decades
  30. 30John ArbuthnotJohn Arbuthnot1667–1735 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors19 decades
  31. 31Marcus Elieser BlochMarcus Elieser Bloch1723–1799 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctorsnot measured—
  32. 32Samuel-Auguste TissotSamuel-Auguste Tissot1728–1797 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctors0 decades
  33. 33FBFrancis Buchanan-Hamilton1762–1829 · Doctors0 decades
  34. 34Percivall PottPercivall Pott1714–1788 · Doctors0 decades
  35. 35Josephus Nicolaus LaurentiJosephus Nicolaus Laurenti1735–1805 · Doctorsnot measured—
  36. 36Antonio Maria ValsalvaAntonio Maria Valsalva1666–1723 · Doctors0 decades
  37. 37Jean-Nicolas CorvisartJean-Nicolas Corvisart1755–1821 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  38. 38Thomas BowdlerThomas Bowdler1754–1825 · Doctors4 decades
  39. 39Petrus CamperPetrus Camper1722–1789 · Doctors0 decades
  40. 40Johann Christian ReilJohann Christian Reil1759–1813 · Doctors10 decades
  41. 41Samuel Thomas von SömmerringSamuel Thomas von Sömmerring1755–1830 · Doctors2 decades
  42. 42Antonio ScarpaAntonio Scarpa1752–1832 · Doctors22 decades
  43. 43Louis-Jean-Marie DaubentonLouis-Jean-Marie Daubenton1716–1800 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  44. 44Archibald MenziesArchibald Menzies1754–1842 · Doctors5 decades
  45. 45Philip MazzeiPhilip Mazzei1730–1816 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors4 decades
  46. 46Johann HermannJohann Hermann1738–1800 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors4 decades
  47. 47William HewsonWilliam Hewson1739–1774 · Doctors2 decades
  48. 48Francisco Javier BalmisFrancisco Javier Balmis1753–1819 · Doctors6 decades
  49. 49Félix Vicq-d'AzyrFélix Vicq-d'Azyr1748–1794 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors1 decades
  50. 50Leopold AuenbruggerLeopold Auenbrugger1722–1809 · Doctors0 decades
  51. 51JBJohann Beringer1667–1738 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors0 decades
  52. 52Johann Peter FrankJohann Peter Frank1745–1821 · Doctors21 decades
  53. 53William SmellieWilliam Smellie1697–1763 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors12 decades
  54. 54John AbernethyJohn Abernethy1764–1831 · Doctors11 decades
  55. 55John JeffriesJohn Jeffries1744–1819 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors17 decades
  56. 56Hugh MercerHugh Mercer1726–1777 · Doctorsnot measured—
  57. 57Domenico CirilloDomenico Cirillo1739–1799 · Doctors22 decades
  58. 58Bernhard Siegfried AlbinusBernhard Siegfried Albinus1697–1770 · Doctorsnot measured—
  59. 59William HeberdenWilliam Heberden1710–1801 · Doctors3 decades
  60. 60Richard MeadRichard Mead1673–1754 · Doctors20 decades
  61. 61Pierre-Joseph DesaultPierre-Joseph Desault1738–1795 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  62. 62Johann Julius WalbaumJohann Julius Walbaum1724–1799 · Doctors0 decades
  63. 63Pierre-François PercyPierre-François Percy1754–1825 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  64. 64Everard HomeEverard Home1756–1832 · Doctors14 decades
  65. 65François Gigot de la PeyronieFrançois Gigot de la Peyronie1678–1747 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctorsnot measured—
  66. 66John FothergillJohn Fothergill1712–1780 · Doctors20 decades
  67. 67Gottlieb Conrad Christian StorrGottlieb Conrad Christian Storr1749–1821 · Doctorsnot measured—
  68. 68Charles BlagdenCharles Blagden1748–1820 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors8 decades
  69. 69Justus Christian LoderJustus Christian Loder1753–1832 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors6 decades
  70. 70George CheyneGeorge Cheyne1671–1743 · Doctors14 decades
  71. 71Giorgio BagliviGiorgio Baglivi1668–1707 · Doctors0 decades
  72. 72Domenico CotugnoDomenico Cotugno1736–1822 · Doctorsnot measured—
  73. 73Martinus van MarumMartinus van Marum1750–1837 · Doctors0 decades
  74. 74Johann Christian SenckenbergJohann Christian Senckenberg1707–1772 · Doctorsnot measured—
  75. 75Armand-Marie-Jacques de Chastenet, Marquis of PuységurArmand-Marie-Jacques de Chastenet, Marquis of Puységur1751–1825 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctorsnot measured—
  76. 76Samuel PrescottSamuel Prescott1751–1777 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctorsnot measured—
  77. 77Thomas BeddoesThomas Beddoes1760–1808 · Doctorsnot measured—
  78. 78Théodore TronchinThéodore Tronchin1709–1781 · Doctors18 decades
  79. 79Paul Joseph BarthezPaul Joseph Barthez1734–1806 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  80. 80Jean Louis PetitJean Louis Petit1674–1750 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors15 decades
  81. 81Alexander CrichtonAlexander Crichton1763–1856 · Doctorsnot measured—
  82. 82John AikinJohn Aikin1747–1822 · Doctors13 decades
  83. 83Matthew BaillieMatthew Baillie1761–1823 · Doctors13 decades
  84. 84Johann Nathanael LieberkühnJohann Nathanael Lieberkühn1711–1756 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors0 decades
  85. 85Thomas PercivalThomas Percival1740–1804 · Doctorsnot measured—
  86. 86Ye TianshiYe Tianshi1667–1747 · Doctorsnot measured—
  87. 87François ChopartFrançois Chopart1743–1795 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctorsnot measured—
  88. 88Alexander MonroAlexander Monro1697–1767 · Doctorsnot measured—
  89. 89Georg Joseph BeerGeorg Joseph Beer1763–1821 · Doctors0 decades
  90. 90Philippe CurtiusPhilippe Curtius1737–1794 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctorsnot measured—
  91. 91Edward BancroftEdward Bancroft1745–1821 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctorsnot measured—
  92. 92Giovanni Domenico SantoriniGiovanni Domenico Santorini1681–1737 · Doctors0 decades
  93. 93Robert WhyttRobert Whytt1714–1766 · Doctors0 decades
  94. 94Franz Leopold LafontaineFranz Leopold Lafontaine1756–1812 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctorsnot measured—
  95. 95Robert WillanRobert Willan1757–1812 · Doctorsnot measured—
  96. 96Carl Arnold KortumCarl Arnold Kortum1745–1824 · Doctorsnot measured—
  97. 97James McClurgJames McClurg1746–1823 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctorsnot measured—
  98. 98Jean-Baptiste Dominique RuscaJean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca1759–1814 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctorsnot measured—
  99. 99John BerkenhoutJohn Berkenhout1726–1791 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors0 decades
  100. 100Johann Konrad AmmannJohann Konrad Ammann1669–1724 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctorsnot measured—

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.